Events

'Phantoms at the Priory' is Norton Priory's latest art installation.  Following last year's successful 'Mars at the Museum', we're delighted to welcome the phantoms to the museum.

Commissioned specially for Norton Priory by the team behind York's hugely successful 'Ghosts in the Garden', this installation allows visitors to come face to face with some of the characters who have shaped the 900 year history of this remarkable place.

Meet an abbot, take a selfie with a canon, and see a kneeling knight.

Spend some time with Brooke family members, welcome a guest arriving for a summer ball, and find out what upset the Duke of Bridgewater.

Outside, see the Head Gardener at work, tending the vegetable plots.  And there are a few smaller surprises to discover as well.

Come and see the 'echoes of the past' for yourself.  We're open from 10am - 4pm (closing at 5pm from Mothering Sunday). No need to book, pay on arrival at the museum. 

Experience Phantoms at the Priory in a whole new light (or dark!). On selected evenings in February and March the Museum will open after hours so that you can enjoy the spectre of the Phantoms after dark. 

Commissioned specially for Norton Priory by the team behind York's hugely popular 'Ghosts in the Garden'. These installations allow visitors to come face to face with some of the characters who have shaped the 900 year history of Norton Priory. 

Follow the trail around the Museum and Medieval Undercroft to sit before the Duke of Bridgewater, find the three mice and spooky spider, see the lady in the ballgown, an angel's face, an apparition of an arm, the Abbot, a Georgian couple in conversation, and take a seat next to the contemplative Canon. 

Can you capture a photo of a Phantom? 

The lights will be turned down low for this atmospheric experience. 

General Admission daytime tickets are also valid for the evening. The Walled Garden will close in line with normal opening hours. The Museum grounds will close at 5pm. 

FREE for Norton Priory Members. No need to book. 

Using photographs of Norton Priory, along with drawing materials and your imagination, you will create an image that captures a phantom. You'll begin by drawing your own phantom, then place it on acetate over a photograph to reveal the hidden ghosts of Norton Priory - almost as if you;re creating a photograph of a 'real' phantom. 

This workshop is for all ages and anyone interested in creativity. It's a chance to invent your own baclstory for a phantom exploring Norton Priory, or to take inspiration from the Phantom Sculptures. 

No booking needed. Included in general admission prices. FREE for Children. FREE for Norton Priory Members. 

With Phantoms at the Priory on the loose, this February half-term at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens is looking a little different...

So, if there's somethin' weird and it don't look good, who're we gonna call?  The Ghostbusters, of course!

Come along and see our (friendly) phantoms and have the opportunity to see a replica of ECTO 1 from 'Ghostbusters'.  This genuine 1959 Cadillac commercial chassis ambulance has been converted to be a Ghostbusters Ecto 1 replica, complete with working lights and sirens.

This car was used by Ernie Hudson (Winston) and Jennifer Runyon from the 1984 Ghostbusters film and was also the car of choice for Sony during the UK 2021 Ghostbusters Afterlife film premiere.  It was also used in the UK interviews with the directors Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman who have both sat in this car. 

As a bonus, a Jurassic Park jeep will also be visiting on the same day!

Included in General Admission prices (£13.50 for adults, up to three children per adult go free).  Admission is free for members of Norton Priory.

No need to book. 

The Liverpool String Quartet returns with friends, to perform a very special evening of music, inspired by 'The Phantoms at the Priory' installation.

The 'Transfigured Night' programme is as follows:
P. I Tchaikovsky - Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70
Interval
Andrew Lloyd Webber - Music of the Night (from 'The Phantom of the Opera')
A. Schoenberg – Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4

The players (Liverpool String Quartet & Friends) are:
Roisin Walters – violin
Kate Marsden – violin
Dani Sanxis – viola
Sarah Hill – viola
Nick Byrne – cello
Mark Lindley – cello

Programme Notes
Tchaikovsky’s 'Souvenir de Florence', composed in 1890, is one of his most expansive and expressive chamber works. Written for string sextet, it combines symphonic breadth with moments of intimacy and lyricism, reflecting the warmth and vitality of the composer’s Italian experiences. 'Music of the Night' is the emotional centre of The Phantom of the Opera. In this arrangement for strings, the music takes on a more intimate and atmospheric character, emphasising its nocturnal quality and making a natural connection with the 'Phantoms at the Priory' installation. Schoenberg’s 'Verklärte Nacht', composed in 1899, is a landmark of late-Romantic chamber music. Inspired by a poem by Richard Dehmel, the work unfolds as a continuous narrative, moving from darkness to transformation through rich harmony and intense emotional expression. Though controversial at its premiere, it is now regarded as one of the great chamber works of its time.

About the Ensemble
Liverpool String Quartet & Friends brings together the Quartet’s core members with guest musicians for larger-scale chamber repertoire. The ensemble is known for its expressive playing and imaginative, context-led programming, and performs regularly in concert series, festivals, and special events across the UK and Europe. The Liverpool String Quartet is Ensemble in Residence at Norton Priory.

Join us for the Norton Priory Art Club - monthly drop-in art sessions to help you get creative!

'Still Life' Art and Easy Peasy Ghost pop ups. 

Included in General Admission prices. Drop-in sessions, no need to book. 

An interactive, illustrated presentation by Louise Bentley, who runs Bolton and Bury Swifts. A conservation project aimed at reversing the declines of these summer visitors. Learn how to identify them, why they are in trouble and what is being done to help them.

This talk launches Norton Priory's new Swifts Project - aiming to reintroduce swifts to Norton Priory. 

*Photo Credit: Peter Smith (swift chick in swift box)

Join the hunt for the Easter Bunny at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens. Family fun with trails, craft activities, and a led story walk through the museum woodland to find the Easter Bunny. 

Included with General Admission prices. 
(Adults £13.50, Children FREE, Norton Priory Members FREE).